Have you ever heard the saying, your day is formed by how you spend your first hour? Over the years, I have found that what you do and what you think from the moment you wake up will make or break your day. Having a positive and loving morning routine is essential to being happy.

As I began my commitment to self-love and staying on a path authentic to me I have added more self-love practices and made my mornings just for myself. There will be certain times in your life this routine will look different due to what life throws at us, but we commit to what we can so we can be our best for ourselves and our loved ones.

Here is what a self-love morning routine looks like! Feel free to customize yours until you find what works best for you!

StepOne: WakeUpWithAPositiveThought
Once you wake up, realize (yes I am awake) it’s whatever day of the week and (insert loving thought!) This can be about being grateful to wake up, a loving thought about the person lying next to you, your family, your children, an opportunity or plan you have for the day. Whatever works for you! Just make sure it is something that makes you feel good. This simple step is to open your mind to a positive outlook when beginning your day.

StepTwo: Journal (ohandIseeyou, stepawayfromthephone!)
STOP! I know what you’re thinking…wake up with your positive thought then grab your phone really quick. But I am here to tell you, STEP AWAY FROM THE PHONE, EMAIL OR TV! Starting your scroll of electronics before you do your self-love morning routine immediately starts your day off with urgency and you are giving that phone or TV the control of setting up your entire day. Let’s be ready to take on the world first, before you check out what’s happening in it. You can reach for your journal thought! The simplest is writing down three things you’re grateful for. Simple, right!?

StepThree: Mindfulness
Everyone feels differently about meditation but if you’re reading this, my guess is you are open to it! When I started my happiness and self-love morning journey I first started with 2 minutes of mediation which then led to 10 minutes of meditation. I recommend ​headspace app​ for anyone getting started! In my present day self-love morning I listen to 15 minutes of visualization and meditation from Gabby Bernstein and Deepak Chopra. When listening, I visualize being in the place that makes me happy, doing the things I aspire to be and watching myself in my journey of self-love.

StepFour: DoSomethingThatGivesyouthat “Ahhhh”feeling!
So, this is where we insert that coffee, tea or juice time 🙂 Me personally, I grab my coffee and hug my husband for at least 15 seconds. You can grab your ahhh feeling of choice and give your roommate a hug, your dog, yourself!

StepFive: SayIloveYouandThankYou
One of the most important steps. Tell yourself thank you and say I love you. You can do this while looking in the mirror. It might feel silly at first but you deserve it and you deserve your love and appreciation. Say it to yourself or say it out loud.

This might seem like a lot of work but it’s very simple and easy to make a habit, these are 5 simple, life changing steps and you deserve to give yourself these gifts. I invite you to start this self-love morning routine, I can promise you they are life changing!

Sarah Pendrick is a self-love advocate, model turned speaker and empowerment influencer with her Master’s in Psychology. Her mission in life is all about helping people and spreading empowerment through her non-profit, events and programs. She’s passionate about adventure, connection and TFK’s Gluten Free pizza. Follow her on Instagram: @GirlTalkNetwork